Vehicle containment barrier

ABSTRACT

This invention, refers to a vehicle containment barrier for installation on expressways, motorways, and public ways to prevent accidents, and which has been designed to improve the characteristics of existing barriers, given the low elasticity module of the materials used in its construction, providing better shock-absorption in the event of collisions against the barrier and redirection of the vehicles.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO A RELATED APPLICATION

This application is a continuation of co-pending application U.S. Ser.No. 10/365,733, filed Feb. 12, 2003; which claims priority to Spanishapplication P20 020 0332, filed Feb. 12, 2002.

BACKGROUND OF INVENTION

Today, vehicle containment barriers are being installed throughout theentire western world and consist of hot-galvanized steel sections; thesection formed by the continuous element used most worldwide is referredto as AASMO-M-ISO-60 and is developed in the United States by the Bureauof Public Roads; in addition to this product, others are now available,notably a section referred to as section B (European) that offers theadvantage of having a resistant module that is 35% superior with asimilar weight (that is not produced in Spain).

Spanish invention patent no. 9101899 claims the right to a procedure forproducing reinforced composite sections, with open and closed sections,and which includes the application pultrusion, reinforcement fibersimpregnated with resin through a formed row, continuous polymerizationof the entire structure and cutting of the section at pre-determinedlengths. In addition to the reinforcement fibers, longitudinalreinforced elements are passed through the row; these consist in cordsor continuous high-resistant and flexible strips bathed in resin, andwhich may be formed by steel, carbon, or similar wire strips.

BRIEF SUMMARY

This invention refers to a vehicle containment barrier for installationon expressways, motorways, and public ways to prevent accidents, andwhich has been designed to improve the characteristics of existingbarriers, given the low elasticity module of the materials used in itsconstruction, providing better shock-absorption in the event ofcollisions against the barrier and redirection of the vehicles.

It also improves maintenance conditions since the steel-reinforcedcomposite material from which it is manufactured means that it requirespractically no maintenance as a result of the effect of weatherconditions.

This is manufactured from steel-reinforced composite products forinstallation on expressways, motorways and public roads to preventaccidents.

This kind of barrier is equivalent to barriers formed by linkedhorizontal sections secured at equidistance points anchored to theground.

Horizontal section (1) has a “C” cross-section with ends (2) bentinwards with means of fastening to the vertical struts (3) using screwspassing through respective holes. The cranked ends (2) have a metalliccore (4) and the ridge of the arch has a half round steel core (5),manufactured by pultrusion.

The support struts (3) have a similar structure and configuration tothat of the horizontal sections (1), and consist of metallic cores (6,8)and steel reinforced composite products and are also obtained by thepultrusion method.

The steel-reinforced composite product presents a low elasticity moduleand comprises fiberglass and isophtalic polyester resin or similar.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

In order to facilitate an understanding of the characteristics of theinvention and forming an integral part of this descriptive report, weattach several diagrams representing, on an illustrative but notlimitative basis, the following:

FIG. 1 This offers a perspective view of a section of vehiclecontainment barrier, in accordance with the invention.

FIG. 2 This is a section along trimming line A-B of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 This is a section along trimming line C-D of FIG. 1.

DETAILED DISCLOSURE

In general terms, the vehicle containment barriers the object of theinvention constitute a specific application of the technology envisagedin the invention patent mentioned previously, since they aremanufactured using composite materials formed by fiber glass andisophtalic polyester resin, although other types of fiber and resin maybe used. The most noteworthy and key characteristic envisaged in thisproduct is the steel casing incorporated in the body of the product inappropriate proportions; the incorporation of this is achieved by meansof pultrusion, with the incorporation of steel in the course of themanufacturing process corresponding to the same. With the procedure forobtaining reinforced composite sections, in accordance with the Spanishinvention patent mentioned previously, the composite elasticity moduleis improved and can multiply three-fold the module that only achieved,in the best of cases, 300,000 k/cm³, increasing this to be around1,000,000 k/cm³. The aforementioned advantage makes it possible to usereinforced composite pieces as structural pieces since the goodproperties of the composite i.e. its light weight, magnificentperformance against atmospheric agents and in aggressive industrialenvironments and excellent resistance to traction and compression, arenow improved by its added rigidity.

All these characteristics make this technology appropriate for producingthe vehicle containment barriers in question; these barriers are formedby linked horizontal sections secured by struts or support pegs arrangedequidistantly and secured to the ground.

The horizontal section that actually serves as a barrier in a “C”cross-section with ends bent inwards and extended horizontally. The endshave a rectangular-section metallic core and the arch, or at least thearch vertex, has a half-round section reinforced with either steel oranother similar material.

The support struts or pegs are also manufactured preferably fromcomposite material with the same or a similar composition to thehorizontal section of the barrier and are also reinforced with steel orsimilar material, and manufactured by the same pultrusion method. Thestruts or pegs may be manufactured with another form of reinforcedcomposite, or another material, always aimed at improving its efficiencyand safety to ensure compliance with the objective of the barrier.

The horizontal section may also have a composite cross-section formed bytwo or more linked semi-circular corrugated sections, as in the case ofthe conventional double-face corrugated section.

Making reference to the numbering used in the figures, we can see howthe vehicle containment barrier proposed in the invention compriseshorizontal section (1) with the “C” section and with its ends fittedwith bent coplanar end points (2) with the means of fastening thebarrier to the struts or pegs (3) that are secured to the ground everyfour or six meters. Whenever necessary due to the route of the road,shorter distances may be used between the struts.

At the ends of the semicircular sections of the bent end sections (2) ofthe longitudinal section (1) is a metallic strut (4) manufactured fromsteel or another resistant material such as carbon fiber or othersimilar materials.

In the manufacturing procedure shown in the figures in this example, thevertex of the longitudinal steel arch (1) also has a metallic strut (5)made from half-round reinforcing steel. If necessary, instead of therebeing only one metallic strut (5) on the vertex, two or more steelstruts may be fitted in this area.

The barrier model is manufactured from any type of composite, with theappropriate fibers and resin components.

The bent section (2) of the longitudinal section (1) includes holes forfastening the barrier to the support strut (3); these are alsomanufactured from composite materials of the same or similar compositionas the horizontal section (1) of the barrier and are also reinforcedwith steel or similar materials, with metallic struts (6) at the bentend points (7) of the arched cross section; there is also a metallicstrut (8) on the vertex of the arch, as shown clearly in FIG. 4.

The specific section shown in the diagrams in this example of assembly,made both from composite and steel, achieves high levels of resistance,with a high resistance moment in both the tractioned and compressedareas; both present much higher values than the resistant module ofdouble-face corrugated sections of existing barriers.

In one example of a specific produce manufactured in accordance with theinvention, the deflector with a four-meter gap between pegs, due to therigidity of this single-wave barrier, would be approximately a quarterof the deflection of the current double-face corrugated section with thesame four-meter gap between the pegs. With a gap of six meters the valueof the deflection is still lower than the current double-facedcorrugated section with a four-meter gap. It is therefore totallyacceptable to assemble barriers with a gap of six meters between pegs,with the envisaged single-face corrugated barrier structure.

However, the single-face corrugated barrier sections may be modified,thus yielding lower rigidity values and higher deflection values,whenever deemed appropriate by the competent technical and safetyauthorities in order to provide greater flexibility and elasticity tothe barrier, which is perfectly achievable by maintaining the sameconstruction design proposed and modifying the dimensions or using twojuxtaposed corrugated sections with lower dimensions.

The barrier built in accordance with the invention also offers theadvantage of providing shock absorption in the event of an impact, bydeformation of the arches included between the half-round section of thevertex and the plates of the support areas. In terms of theconfiguration and structure of the struts or support pegs (3), it alsoachieves a high degree of accident prevention due to its curved-convexshape, eliminating sharp angles, in contrast to the “U” and “H” sectionsthat have conventional support pegs.

1. VEHICLE CONTAINMENT BARRIER: this has been designed for instillationon motorways or public roads and is equivalent to the type formed by alinked horizontal section, secured to equidistant struts anchored to theground, and characteristic because it is made from composite materialsreinforced with steel or a similar product, presenting a low elasticitymodule, comprising fiberglass and isophtalic polyester resin (4,5,6,8)in appropriate portions and positions, with the unique feature that thisincorporation may only be achieved by means of pultrusion.
 2. VEHICLECONTAINMENT BARRIER: according to patent claim 1, this productcharacteristic because the horizontal section (1) consists in a “C”cross-section, the ends (2) of which are bent inwards and extended;these incorporate a metallic core (4) and the arch, or at least the archvertex, is reinforced with half-round steel or similar material (5). 3.VEHICLE CONTAINMENT BARRIER: according to patent claim 1, this productis characteristic because the support struts (3) are also manufacturedfrom composite material of the same or similar composition to that ofthe horizontal barrier section (1) and are also reinforced with steel(6,8) or similar materials and manufactured by the means of pultrusion.4. VEHICLE CONTAINMENT BARRIER: according to patent claim 2, thisproduct is characteristic because the horizontal section has a crosssection comprising two or more linked semicircular corrugated sections.5. A vehicle containment barrier, comprising: a body made of a compositematerial formed from fiber glass and an isophtalic polyester resin; andat least on steel casing incorporated in the body, wherein the body isformed and at least one steel casing is incorporated in the body viapultrusion, wherein the body has a generally “C” shape with the ends ofthe “C” shape bent inwardly.